Month: May 2014

There is a common and disturbing dynamic that permeates various areas and levels of our organizational life. Even in the church. Let’s face it. It happens–not in all settings but it certainly happens–that the life of a faith community can be guided more by political “reality” than the way we outwardly agree it should be run, usually with an agreed upon system of governance, based on Biblical principles and authority. Too often it boils down to things being done according to the predilictions of some power broker or brokers, and people fall into line, often unconsciously. The principled leader ends up frustrated, and often demonized as defensive, unresponsive, and/or simply incompetent.

The point here is that so pervasive in society is the power talks and might is right mindset that not even the church is immune from being run this way. And it’s too easy, and inexcusable, to just throw up our hands and say, well that’s just the reality. That’s the problem (see above re the church). Part of this mindset by those who most practise it is an end-justifies-the-means mentality. If you are convinced you know what’s best for everyone, any means is justified, even deemed right.

My current reflection on this is prompted by the news that Canadian government agencies have been requesting, successfully, roughtly a thousand requests per day from telecoms for information on Canadians. This is justified under the umbrella of “national security.” Really? For that many requests? And is really just the government itself behind this. Or are there powerful forces in our world that see themselves as the rightful rulers (just like the power person in the church), and therefore see any action or tactic as justified.

Is government just a willing player in this dynamic?

Who is really calling the shots?